Tag Archives: Rob Parker

[Grace: I’ve received a number of emails from people asking if they can guest post on my blog so I thought I’ll give guest posting a try after screening them. I’ve definitely learnt a thing or two from this guest post by Rob Parker so I hope you’ll enjoy it too!]

Over the last 12 to 18 months, businesses of all sizes have become aware of the term ‘Content Marketing’. At its most basic level, that has meant writing – or hiring someone to write – regular blog posts, and this has become a key part of the marketing strategy for many organisations.

The reasons for this are pretty straightforward:

SEO

Google loves fresh content. A regularly updated blog all about your business and sector is the easiest way to achieve that.

A blog acts as an overflow and content generator for your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+ accounts.

Thought leadership

Blogging allows you to demonstrate your expertise on a particular topic and, as a result, create a level of trust with potential customers before they have even contacted you.

So, how do you write a business blog that helps you to achieve all of those things?

1) Stay on topic

Blogging for business is very different from a personal blog. While a personal blog might take a scattergun approach to various topics, your business blog should remain focused on your niche. These are the things that people will expect to read about when they visit your site and are the things that are of interest to them.

2) Add value

Good business blogging isn’t just writing about your business. Think about how you can add value for a reader. Put yourself in their position: why should they spend time reading your latest blog post? What’s in it for them?

Usually the answer is to provide them with information that will be of use to them. It might tell them how to do something, explain something they didn’t understand or provide them with some entertainment. If you opt for the latter, make sure that your blog is relevant as well as entertaining.

3) Consider SEO

When writing your blog posts – and particularly when writing blog titles – think about relevant search terms that will be used by people who might be interested in your blog. Incorporating them into your work will be far more fruitful than any wordplay you might consider using instead.

4) Build a brand persona

Blogging allows you to ‘talk’ directly with potential customers. Spend some time thinking about how your business should ‘sound’, the type of language it uses and how your readers expect to be addressed. Deciding this in advance allows you to have a consistent tone running through all your blog posts from the outset.

5) Stick at it

Worse than not having a blog is having a blog that you don’t maintain. This gives the impression that there is nothing going on at your business. Schedule time for writing blog posts. Writing regularly over a sustained period is the only way to achieve the benefits of business blogging.

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This blog post was written by Rob Parker, who blogs for Singapore fridge rental company Lowe Refrigeration.